


Half Baked Scheme

by Eastofthemoon



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Baking, Baking Competition, Family, Fluff, Found Family, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27859482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eastofthemoon/pseuds/Eastofthemoon
Summary: Zack convinces the group to have a baking competition.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: fandomtrees





	Half Baked Scheme

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scintilla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scintilla/gifts).



> This is a fill for fandom trees. Hope you enjoy!

Zack rubbed his hands together and grinned to himself. This was his best idea ever! 

“Ya guys done yet?” he shouted to the kitchen.

“Not yet,” Carmen shouted. “Be patient.”

“Beside,” Player said from his laptop. “You gave them two hours and they still have ten minutes left.”

Zack shrugged. “Hey, I'd be open to early submissions. Bonus points, ya know?”

Ivy sighed as she stepped out and wiped her hands on her apron. “I still say, this is a dumb bondin’ activity.” She gestured to where Shadow-san and Carmen stood in the kitchen. “We work our butts off and you get to sit and do nothin’.”

“Hey,” Zack shot back. “Carmen said it was my turn to pick the group activity, and bakin’ competition is totally legit.”

“Bakin’ together sure,” Ivy said as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “But with you as a judge?”

“Well, someone has to pick the winner!” 

Ivy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure.” She grumbled. “You could at least help clean up the kitchen.”

“This does not seem to be fair to Player,” Shadow-san remarked as he finished washing the mixing bowls.

“No worries, I have some Nanaimo bars, so I'm good,” Player said as he leaned back from his computer. “This delectable treat was first popularized in the province of British Columbia, Canada, in the 1950s, and-"

"No one needs the history lesson, Player!" Zack grumbled, tapping his foot. "If they're not on my plate, I don't care what they are."

Player laughed. "Fine, fine. Besides, I get to be the host that goes around and tries to cheer up the bakers when they start to stress cry.”

Carmen smirked as she placed her hands on her hips. “No one is crying.”

“Then I’ve done my job,” Player said with a sly smile.

Carmen laughed as the timer dinged. “Time’s up,” she announced as she placed the dish towel over her shoulder. 

Zack gleefully clapped his hands. “Alright, who’s up first.”

“Me,” Ivy stated firmly.

Zack sat up straight. “Alright, Sis, but don’t think I’ll be playin’ favorites just because-” He cut off with a scream.

Ivy grinned as she held up her plate. “What’s the matter, bro? Don’t you want to taste?”

“IS THAT FISH?!” Zack asked as he climbed to the top of the couch.

“Salmon with a maple glaze, wrapped in phyllo pastry,” Ivy declared as she dumped the plate on the table.

“Not cool!” Zack said as he shook a finger. “It’s supposed to be a dessert!”

“Noooo,” Ivy said as she smirked. “You said a ‘bakin’ competition’ and this is a baked salmon. Baked pastry, even. Got nothin' to complain about, bro.”

Carmen laughed. “Well played, Ivy.”

Shadow-san said nothing but silently offered a high five that Ivy took.

“You’re disqualified,” Zack declared. 

“On the grounds of?” Player asked.

“Fish being disgusting and being a bad sister,” Zack declared.

Ivy placed a hand over her heart and pretended like she was about to faint. “Oh, how shall I ever live this down? Betrayed by my own blood, left to languish in the alleyways of failure forevermore.”

Ivy gave another laugh as she took away the plate off the coffee table.

Zack only finally climbed down once the fish was safely a room away. “Stupid salmon,” he grumbled.

“Guess, I’ll go next,” Carmen said as she placed the plate of cookies. “I'm not much of a baker, so I kept it simple.”

“Chocolate chip,” Player said as Zack held up a cookie. “That is a classic.”

Zack sniffed it. “Smells good,” he said and then took a bite. He gave a happy grin. “Bit too much salt, but decent! Good job, Carm!”

“Glad it met with your approval,” Carmen said as she sat down next to Zack.

“Last dish is Shadow-san,” Player declared. “With Ivy disqualified, if you can’t top the cookies then Carmen wins.”

“We shall see,” Shadow-san said as he brought up his plate of small white balls.

Zack blinked as he slowly picked one up. “What are these?”

“Daifuku mochi,” Shadow-san said as he tucked his hands behind his back. “It is a Japanese sweet.”

“It’s basically a kind of rice cake that has a sweet filling,” Carmen explained.

Zack frowned. “I...don’t know if I would like this or not.”

He had been expecting the gang to make foods he was familiar with. Not new stuff like this.

“Well, you gotta taste it,” Ivy said as she poked his shoulder. “You’re the judge.”

Zack grimaced, but after one long unblinking stare from Shadow-san, Zack found himself pressured into taking a bite. He paused, took in the flavor and swallowed.

“Hey, this is good!” Zack declared.

“Does it meet with your approval?” Shadow-san said.

“Yeah, you’re the winner,” Zack said as he picked up another. “Sorry, Carm.”

“I accept my defeat gracefully,” Carmen said.

Zack gulped the rest of his mochi. “You guys really need to try one.”

The girls exchanged a curious look and took one and had a bite.

“Ooh, I like the sweetness,” Ivy said.

“And the texture is really nice,” Carmen said and grinned. “I never would have pictured you as a baker.”

“The heads of VILE also often chose baking as a ‘group activity’, and the Countess has high standards,” Shadow-san explained as he went over to Ivy’s dish. “I do not care for desserts so I shall have some of the fish.”

“Knock yourself,” Ivy insisted as she leaned back and snagged a cookie.

Shadow-san sliced off a piece and dismissed Zack’s expression of revulsion as he took a bite.

He gave an approving nod. “Excellent preparation of the salmon, Ivy.”

Ivy beamed with praise. “See, Bro. At least Shadow-san has good taste.”

Zack mumbled something through a mouthful of mochi, while Carmen leaned against the counter twirling one of her cookies in her fingers. "I have to admit, this was pretty fun. Maybe next time we should have a fishing contest?"

"Acceptable."

"Sounds like fun, Carm."

"Mmmph?!"


End file.
